Fort Willem II, Ungaran
Fort Willem II of Ungaran (known locally as Benteng Ungaran or Benteng Diponegoro) is a late 18th-century Dutch fort located in Ungaran, in the Semarang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The fort is the place where Diponegoro was imprisoned while waiting for his judgment in Batavia and further exile to Makassar.
History
Fort Willem II is a relatively old fortress in Java. There are differing opinions regarding the fort's completion. The fort was built by the Dutch in 1786 as one of the series of Dutch forts built to maintain peace along a trade route in Central Java, which include Fort Herstelling in Salatiga and Fort Veldwachter in Boyolali.[1] The fort was originally named Fort de Ontmoeting ("the meeting") to commemorate the historic meeting between Pakubuwono II and Baron van Imhoff on May 11, 1746, regarding the transfer of the capital of the Mataram Sultanate from Kartosuro to Surakarta. Other claim is that the fort was built in 1712.[2] There is also other claim that the fort was constructed between 1740 and 1742 during a chaotic condition in Java; Baron van Imhoff was hospitalized in the fort after an attack by a troop from Surakarta in 1742.[2]
Between 1800 and 1807 Fort Willem II was controlled by the Batavian Republic; later from 1807-1811 the French soldiers took over the fort. Later the British army took over the fort until 1816. The Dutch took over the fort again.[3]
In 1826 the fort was attacked by the troops of Diponegoro, led by Kyai Mojo (religious advisor and war commander of Diponegoro) from the direction of Rembang. The fort almost fell to the hand of Kyai Mojo after being surrounded for two weeks. When the war ended in 1830, Diponegoro was captured and imprisoned inside Fort Willem II for three days in August 1830 before being transferred to Batavia to be judged.[2]
In 1849, the fort was captured by the British without any resistance. The British converted the fort into a hospital; until it was returned to the Dutch.[4] The Dutch used the fort as military camp between 1918 and 1919.[3]
During the short Japanese occupation period, the fort was used as prison.[3][4] It was recaptured by the Dutch from 1945-1950 to be used as police's barrack.[3] Later in 1951, it was briefly used by the Indonesian National Armed Forces before it is transferred to the police to be used as dormitory.[3] Since 2011 the fort has been renovated in preparation to convert the fort into a museum.[4]
The fort
Fort Willem II is one of the colonial landmark of Ungaran. It is located in the center of Ungaran, on the Semarang-Surakarta road. The building of the Regional People's Representative Assembly (DPRD) is located just in front of the fort.
Fort Willem II is a small square-shaped fort with four bastions. A moat used to surround the fort up until the 19th century, however this has been refilled. A one meter thick wall surrounds the fort. A two-floored building provide a vantage point at the western main entrance point and the eastern back entrance point. The buildings inside the fort surround an inner courtyard.[4]
The fort is now used as a dormitory for 16 families from the member of the police department. Many historic buildings in Indonesia was converted into dormitories, which usually means lack of maintenance, crumbling structure, and ownership issues. In 2007, the Semarang Regency decided to convert the fort into a museum. However, land ownership became a problem and fort restoration was cancelled.[4]
References
Works cited
- Bambang Isti (June 11, 2010). "Masih Asli, Ruang Sholat Diponegoro" [Still original, the place used by Diponegoro for praying]. Suara Merdeka (in Indonesian). Jakarta. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- "Benteng Williem II / Benteng Ungaran". Javasun3 - Wordpress (in Indonesian). Wordpress. 2010. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- Budiharjo, Eko (1997). Preservation and conservation of cultural heritage in Indonesia. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press. ISBN 9789794204269.
- HBR (December 2014). "Sejarah Benteng Willem II" [History of Fort Willem II]. Serasi Media (in Indonesian). Ungaran. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
Coordinates: 7°07′46″S 110°24′16″E / 7.129315°S 110.404537°E